As Tribe fans poured into Progressive Field Tuesday, they shared a sense of anticipation that went beyond the evening's baseball game.
 
 
"Feeling like summer and definitely feeling like getting back to life as we knew it," said Margaret Adams of Columbus. She and her family made a road trip to Cleveland one day before the Indians' home field returns to full capacity.
 
 
"It's really cool, I don't think I've ever seen the stadium at full capacity yet," said daughter Ellen, while her father Richard added "all the games I've been to, you gotta fight for tickets so I'm waiting to see that again!"

Fans will also see a few ground rules starting Wednesday:
 
  •     All gates will open one hour before first pitch
  •     Social distancing will be encouraged throughout all queuing locations
  •     No bags allowed to speed up and prevent overcrowding during ballpark entry – exceptions for medical bags, diaper bags and clutch purses
  •     Mobile entry – ticketless entry via Ballpark App, My Indians Tickets and the StubHub app
  •     Food and beverage consumption will be confined to ticketed seating or ticketed designated standing space
  •     Cashless transactions encouraged at all food and retail locations
  •     Increased hand sanitization stations around the ballpark
  •     Frequent cleaning of high-touch surfaces
  •     Outdoor air circulation pumped in to all indoor areas
  •     Cleveland Clinic's S-A-F-E branding and signage throughout the ballpark to remind fans of ballpark health guidelines
 
We saw plenty of masks throughout the ballpark, too. Many people plan to keep them on despite Ohio lifting its mask mandate Wednesday.
 
 
"I'm fully vaccinated and I know that I am but I don't know if everyone else is so I think it's about finding that balance in me being comfortable and making sure other people are comfortable too," said Alexa Fedinsky.
 
 
Judging from Tuesday's turnout, the return of packed crowds to Progressive Field is a sure sign it's going to be a great summer.
Considering what we've been through, we deserve it.
 
 
"It was sad not having any games we could come to in 2020 so 2021 is definitely exciting," said Harry Konangi.
 
 
If you're planning to head to Wednesday's game, first pitch is at 1:10pm and you'd better pack the rain gear - there's a good chance for showers and maybe storms.